Device for producing homogeneous material



Nov. 30, 1943.

F F. PEAsE DEVCE FOR PRODUCING HOMOGENOUS MATERIAL Filed Nov. 29., 19413 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 3o, 1943. y F, E PESE 2,335,306

DEVICE FOR PRODUCING HOMOGENEOUS MATERIAL.

Filed Nov. 29, 1.941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOH. fp /P/rsar H5465 BTYATTORNEY.

Nov, 30, 1943. F. F. PEAsE 2,335,306

DEVICE FOR PRODUGING HOMGENEOUS MATERIAL Filed Nov. 29, 1941 ssheets-sheet s ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 30, 1943 I Fred Forrest Pease,Squantum, Mass., asslgnor to Lever Brothers Company, Cambridge, Mass., acorporation o! Maine Application November 29, 1941, Serial No. 421,048

14 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for producing homogeneous products.and relates particularly to suitable apparatus for working plastic vmasses of the type disclosed in my United States Patent No. 2,048,286dated July 2l, 1936. Apparatus of this type maybe utilized to treat aplastic mass toconvert it into a mass of marshmallowy consistencycontaining finely divided and uniformly dispersed bubbles of air.

AThe present invention relates particularly to apparatus by means ofwhich closely controlled pressures andv temperatures can be maintainedautomatically in the treatment of plastic masses, of the type describedin the Pease patent and in particular masses of the type of soap` withthe result that a product of high and uniform qual# ity is obtained. Y l

A suitable apparatus embodying the present invention may include amechanism for feeding a material into an ag-itating zone at a constantpressure and rate where the material may be heated or cooled andagitated, as desired, and means for delivering the product from theagitating zone at a constant rate and under a uniform pressure so thatoperating conditions in the apparatus may be closely controlled toproduce a uniform, homogeneous product.

More particularly, the feeding device may include a feed hopper and pumphaving impellers actuated by a torque-responsive, variable speedtransmission which drives the impellers to feed the material at aconstant rate.

Moreover, the agitating and aerating zone may be provided with adischarge mechanism or oo ntrol head which controls the rate ofdischarge of the product and maintains a constant uniform back pressureagainst the product undergoing treatment, and discharges the product at,

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a typical l form of deviceembodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in section of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view shownpartly in section and partly broken away of the details of the ratchettransmission for the feeding device;

Fig. 4is a view in section taken on line 4--4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the control head and discharge mechanism forthe device, and

taken on line y 2-2 Fig. 6 is a. view in section taken on line 6-6' ofFig. 5.

The form of the, invention illustrated in the drawings includes anapparatus A of the type disclosed in my United States Patent No. 2,048,-286 for Agitating, working,and conveying a plastid-fluid or semi-fluidmass to convert it intova product of `marshmallowy consistency, as `moreparticularly described in the aforesaid Patent'No. 2,048,286. Theinvention will be described with reference to soap as the plastic mass,but it will be understood that other products can be treated with theapparatus as indicated in my Patent No. 2,048,286.

The device A includes generally a pair of intermeshing screw members laand Ib which are enclosed within a jacket 2 to which may be supplied aheating or a cooling fluid. The screw' members la and lb are mounted onshafts 3a and 3b whichare journaled in the jacket 2 and which areprovided with suitable non-meshing gears 4a and 4b.

The screws la and Ib may be driven by means of a, motor 5 through" aspeed reduction gearing 6, sprocket 1, a chain 8, and a sprocket 9 whichis xed Ato a shaft Iii having a gear ll thereon that meshes with thegears aand lib and causes them. to rotate in the same direction so thata mass of plastic, solid or semi-solid soapA within the jacket 2 will besubjected to a kneading, shearing, agitating and conveying ac` tion formoving the soap mass from the left hand end of the jacket to the righthand end thereof, as viewed inFig. 1. y

The present invention includes a mechanism B for feeding soap stock tothe device A at a constant rate and pressure, and a control head anddischarge means C at the outlet from the device A which maintains aconstant uniform backV pres'- sure against the rrass undergoing workingand agitation in the device A, as well as maintaining a constant uniformow or discharge of the marshmallowy soap product from the deviceAD. Thedescribed mechanism automatically4 maintains the pressure exerted on thesoap mass at a constant uniform level'and thereby assures that thetemperature and physical characteristics of the soap mass undergoingtreatment will likewise remain uniform.

Referring to Figs, 1 and 4, the constant pressure feeding mechanism Bincludes a hopper I2 into which soap stock in a chip or flake form andhaving a predeterminedmoisture content is fed. Beneath, andcommunicating with, the hopper I2 is a feeding mechanism I3 comprising ahousing I4v in which are rotatably mounted a pair of rotary pumpimpellers I5a and I5b. Theimpellers I5a and I5b receive the soap chipsor flakes from the hopper I2 and feed them into the jacket 2 where theyare received by the screws Ia and I b and fed and worked during theirpassage through the device A. The pump impellers Iia and lib are mountedon suitable shafts I 6a and Iib which are provided with intermeshinggears I la and I'Ib as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. e

The shaft IIia is provided with a plurality of ratchets I8a, I8b, Isc,and I8d, which are fixed thereto and are driven by means of a pawlmechanism.

As shown in Fig. 3, the pawl mechanism includes a rocker member I9 foreach ratchet which is rockably supported upon the shaft I6. Each rockermember I9 includes two plates I9a and Iilb disposed on opposite sides ofthe corresponding ratchet and which have pivotally mounted therebetweena plurality of pawls a, 20h and 20c, vwhich are urged by means ofsprings 2l against the teeth of the ratchet wheel Ila, I8b, I8c, or I8d.Thus, upon rocking movement of the pawll carrier I9 in a clockwisedirection, as viewed in Fig. 3, the ratchet I8d will be `rotated in aclockwise direction. Upon counter-clockwise motion of the pawl carrierI9, the pawls will slide over the teeth of the ratchet IBd.

The several pawl carriers I9 cooperating with the ratchets I8a, I8b, I8cand I8d. are driven by means of connecting rods 22a, 22b, 22e and 22dprovided with eccentric straps 23a, 23h, 23e and 23d which receive theeccentrics 2l, these eccentrics being staggered angularly withrelationship .to each other so that the action of the .various l pawlcarriers I9 in rotating the shaft Ia is successive, thereby causingalmost continuous rotation of the shaft Ilia and theimpellers IIa andI5b.

Inasmuch as the soap stock may be in chip, pellet or flake form,difficulty is encountered in feeding a constant volume of the stock intothe device A when a continuous unvarying drive for the impellers I5a andI 5b is provided. The reason is that the pieces comprising the massbeing charged may vary in size and in the amount of.

their compactng. The amount of air or free space within the mass mayvary, Accordingly, a torque-responsive, variable speed transmission isprovided for driving the impellers I5a and lib and for varying the speedof rotation and the 'pumping action of the impellers I5a and I5b so asto feed the stock at a uniform pressure and rate into the device A. Thismechanism consists of a resilient coupling between the rocker members I9and the respective connecting rods 22a, 22h, 22o and 22d. Referringparticularly to Figs. 1 to 3, Athe resilient connection includes a yoke25a, 25h, 25e and 25d, pivotally mounted between the plates I9a and I9bof eachrocker member I 9 which slidably receive the respectiveconnecting rods 22a, 22h, 22e and 22d. Each of these connecting rods,for example connecting rod 22d (Fig. 3), is provided with a fixed collar26 thereon which engages the yoke 25d to rock the pawl carrier I9 in acounter-clockwise direction. The yokes 2Ia to 25d are vnormally urgedtoward the collars 2O by means of the coil springs 21a, 2lb, 2`|c or 21dencircling the corresponding connecting rods.

The springs 25a to 25d are retained under com-` pression by means of thewashers 28a, 28h, 28e or 2id, and the pairs of lock nuts^29a, 29h, 29eor 29d on the threaded upper ends of the respective connecting rods.

When the pressure exerted by the impellers IIa and I Ib exceeds apredetermined maximum pressure and the rate of feed exceeds the rate atwhich the mass is conveyed through the device A, the springs 21a, 2lb,21o, 21d, may give slightly thereby rotating the impellers througha'shorter angular distance and decreasing the speed of rotation' of theimpellers until the abnormal pressure and rate of feed no longer exist.

In operation, as the soap stock is forced by the impellers I5a and I5binto the jacket 2, the pawl carriers will be rocked distances which aresubstantially inversely proportional to the pressure generated by theimpellers.` rIl'herefore, the impellers Ia and I5b are displacedangularly about their axes of rotation by each pawl and ratchetmechanism such distances as to maintain a uniform constant pressure'within the Jacket 2 of the justed to feed the soap somewhat morerapidly' than the device A can conveyit away. Any suitable mechanism formaintaining this slightly higher rate of feed may be used. The mechanismillustrated consists of a sprocket 30 fixed to the shaft III which, bymeans of a chain BI and a sprocket 32, drives the eccentric shaft 33.The impellers act to force the feed forward on their outside arcs ofmovement and may permit the soap'mass to leak back between them on theirinside arcs of movement if there is sufficient back pressure as avresult of the soap not being consists in the control of pressure butalso may be utilized to'reduce to a minimum turbulent or induced flowwithin the soap mass prior to the release 'of the molten mass to aform-imparting device.

y:Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, the control head C, is shown as receivingthe soap as it issues from the device A. The illustrated control head Cincludes a T-.shaped coupling 35 having flanges 35a and 35h at itsopposite ends. The flange 35a is connected in any suitable way to aflanged outlet 38 on the end of the jacket 2 of the treating device A.Within and extending axially of the coupling 35 are a pair of relativelyArotatable telesooped tubular valve plug sleeves 3l and 38.. Theoutermost sleeve 31 is provided with a' port 39 which may be'rotatedinto alignment with an escape port 40 in the bottom of the T-coupling 35or with the right 4angularly related ,discharge branch 4I of thecoupling 35. The` innermost sleeve Il is provided with. an elongatedtransversely tapered slot 38a extending around the sleeve for about Thisslot 38a may be adjusted relatively to the port 39 to regulate the rateof flow of the soap mass through the port 39. 'I'he two sleeves 31 and38 are provided with actuating handles 42 and 43 which permit them to berotated so thatthe soap mass issuing from the device A may be directedeither through Vthe branch I I or downwardly through the escape port 40.Suitable dial plates and indicators may be indicate the angularrelationship of the sleeves.

This arrangement is extremely advantageous inasmuch as it permitsregulation of the fiow of the soap mass and observation of thecharacteristics of the soap mass with the flow of the soap through theescape port 40, until the soap has attained the desired characteristics.After the soap mass has attained the desired characteristics and thedesired rate of flow is obtained, the sleeves 31 and 38 may be swung intheir relatively adjusted positions into alignment with the dischargebranch 4| so that the soap can be discharged for further treatment.

The sleeve 31 is retained in axially fixed position by means of a collarI31a thereon. This collar is retained in a recess 35o in the exteriorsurface of the flange 35h of the coupling 35 by means of a cover plate35d which is fixed to the flange 435h. The sleeve 33 has a. shoulder 38hthereon which abuts against a shoulder 31h in the interior of the sleeve31 thereby preventing outu ward movement of the sleeve 38.

The branch 4| of the coupling 35 has a diverging passageway 45 thereinhaving its larger end in communication with a movable conduit 4B ofgenerally rectangular cross-section. The diverging passageway 45 permitsthe soap to expand gradually to ll and flow along the conduit-46.

The conduit 46 may be formed of suitably reinforced sheet metal and hasone end fixed between an exterior frame 41 'and inner member 48 havingan aperture 48a therein which forms the diver-ging continuation of thepassageway 45. A anged end portion 48h in the member 48 abuts the endofthe conduit 46 and engages the frame 41. The frame 41 and the member48x may be secured to each other in any suitable way, such as bywelding. The frame 41 is provided with outwardly projecting ears 49 and49a for receiving loosely the stud bolts D and 5I which are xed in afiange 52 on the end of the branch 4|. Springs 53 are mounted on thestud bolts Sil and 5| and bear against the ears 49 and 49a to force theconduit 46 and its end members 41 and 48 against the end of the branch4| to return them in leak-proof relation, but permitting relativemovement therebetween. Preferably a rubber gasket 54 is mounted betweena boss 55 of reduced area on the member 48 and in a recess 56 in the endof the branch, 4| to prevent leakage while permitting relative movementbetween the conduit 46 and the branch 4|.

Any tendency for the soap mass to stick in the conduit 45, as a resultof the reduction of pressure and the formation of a skin thereon, forexample, as. a result of slight cooling, may be overcome by vibratingtheconduit 45. The member 48 on the conduit 46 is provided with anextension 51 which lsupports an air hammer 58 of conventionalconstruction including a reciprocating piston v(not shown).

The pressure exerted on the soap mass in the passageway 45 and withinthe device A may be controlled by a pressure release device comprising agenerally dome-shaped valve plug 59 which is resiliently urged into apressure release port 60 in the under side of the branch 4|. A Sylphonbellows 6| is mounted on the coupling 35. The bellows has a projectingpin 62 thereon which bears against an adjustable set screw 63 in a lever64. The lever 54 is pinned to a shaft 65 which is rotatably mountedbetween the flanges a and 35h of the T-coupling 35. The shaft 65 alsohas fixed to it an arcuate arm 65 having the valve plug 59 on its end.By maintaining a uniform fluid pressure within the Sylphon bellows 6|,the valve plug 59 is forced into the pressure release port with uniformpres- So long as the pressure on the soap in j sure. the dischargebranch 4| does not exceed the pressure exerted on the valve plug 59, thelatter will not leave the port 60. However, when the pres- 'sure on .thesoap exceeds a predetermined value,v

4the valve plug 59 will be forced out of the port 60 and soap escapesthereby maintaining the predetermined pressure in the passageway 45 andthe conduit 45.

The control head C described above, therefore, has the functions ofmaintaining a constant back pressure on the soap mass in the device A,and of regulating the pressure and rate of flow of the soap mass issuingfrom the control head C.

The soap mass being discharged from the conduit 46 may be delivered toany suitable device for further treatment such as, for example, to aform-imparting device in which the soap l'mass becomes form-retaining asa result of solidication.

From the preceding description of the typical apparatus embodying thepresent invention, it will be clear that thedevice is capable ofproducing in acontinuous process soap or other products which have theuniform physical characterI istics desired for a marketable product. Itwill beunderstood further that one of the primary considerations of thepresent invention is to provide an apparatus in which soap and other.plastic, `semi-fluid or fluid products can be worked, agitated, heatedor cooled, and, if desired, aerated to change their physical state underuniform conditions of temperature and pressure. Therefore, it will beunderstood that the illustrated apparatus embodying the presentinvention is susceptible to considerable change in construction so longas the several elements are capable of maintaining the desired uniformconditions. The above described'embodiment of the invention should beconsidered as illustrative only and not as limiting the scope of -thefollowing claims.

I claim: Y

1. In a device for producing homogeneous compositions, the combinationof a pair of parallel meshing screw members, a jacket enclosing saidscrew members, means for rotating said screw members to cause a mass ofmaterial in said jacket to be agitated, worked and conveyed by saidscrew members from one end of said jacket to the other, a feed hoppercommunicating with the interior of said jacket adjacent said one end,

a pair oflrotatable irnpellers for feeding said material from saidhopper into said jacket under pressure, a torque-responsive variablespeed transmission for rotating said impellers to feed said material atuniform pressure into said jacket, and a discharge` means at said otherend of said jacket having means for maintaining a uniform pressure onthe material in said jacket,

and for discharging 'the material at constant pressure.

2. In a device for producing homogeneous cornpositions, the combinationof means for agitating and working a mass of said composition comprisinga pair of intertting screw members.- a

jacket enclosing said members, andmeans for rotating said screw membersto agitate, work and convey the mass from one end of said jacket to theother, -a feed hopper at said one end of said jacket, rotary means forfeeding the mass 'from 'said hopper into said jacket under pressure, a

torque-responsive, variable speed transmission for rotating said feedingmeans, a discharge means at said other end of said jacket and a constantpressure valve means associated with said dissure into said jacketcomprising an impeller.

pump, a torque-responsive, variable speed transmission for actuatingsaid pump and means for discharging said composition under uniformpressure from said jacket.

4. In a device for producing a homogeneous product having a pair ofrotary agitating and conveying members enclosed in a jacket, thecombination of a' rotary impeller pump for feeding material into saidjacket; means for actuating said pump at variable speeds comprising aplurality of ratchets connected to said pump, a crankshaft, a pluralityof connecting rods actuated by said crankshaft, at least one pawlactuated by each connecting rod to rotate said ratchetsl and resilientmeans coupling said connecting rods to said pawls to permit variabledisplacement of said pawls'in response to variations in the backpressure exerted by the material and said members; and means fordischarging the material from said jacket under constant pressure.

5. In a device for treating materials having a pair of rotary agitatingand conveying members enclosed in a jacket; the subcombination of a feedhopper, rotary means for feeding material under pressure from saidhopper into said jacket, means for actuating said feeding means to feedmaterial into said jacket at a constant uniform pressure comprisingratchets connected to said feeding means, and resilient means for movingratchetsdistances inverselyproportional to the pressure against whichsaid feeding means operate.

6. In a device for producing homogeneous compositions, thesubcombination of ahopper, rotary means for withdrawing a material fromsaid hopper and delivering it under pressure, a drive shaft for rotatingsaid delivering means, a plurality of ratchets fixed to said driveshaft, rocker members on said drive shaft, pawls pivotally mounted onsaid rocker members engageable with said ratchets, a crankshaft,connecting rods actuated by said crankshaft, and resilient meanscoupling said rocker members to said conn'ecting rods to permit relativedisplacement f said connecting rods'and said rocker members when thepressure exerted by said deliveringmeans exceeds a predeterminedmaximum.

7. In a device for treating materials, the subcombination of a hopper, arotary means for withdrawing a material from said hopper and deliveringit under pressure, a drive shaft for 'rotating said delivering means, aratchet transmission connected to said drive shaft, a crankshaft andmeans resiliently connecting said crankshaft and said transmission topermit relative displacement between said drive shaft and saidcrankshaft when the pressure exerted by said delivering means exceeds apredetermined maximum.

8. In a device for producing homogeneous products having a pair ofrotary agitating and conveying members enclosed in a jacket; thecombination of means for feeding a material into one end of said jacketunder constant pressure and means at the other end of said jacket fordischarging said material comprising a casing having a discharge outletand a port adjacent to said outlet, a valve for closing said port andmeans resiliently urging said valve into said port to prevent saidmaterial from escaping through said port unless the pressure in thedischarge outlet exceedsa predetermined maximum.

9. In a device for producing homogeneous compositions having a pair ofrotary agitating and conveying members enclosed in a jacket; thecombination of means for feeding a material into one end of said jacketunder constant pressure and means at the other end of said jacket fordischarging said material comprising a casing having a discharge outletand a port adjacent to said outlet, a valve for closing said port andmeans resiliently urging said valve into said port,

said valve being displaceable by pressure to permit said material toescape from said port when the pressure in the discharge outlet exceedsa predetermined maximum, a conduit communicating with said dischargeoutlet and means for vibrating said conduit to prevent said materialfrom sticking to said conduit.

10. In a device for producing homogeneous compositions having a pair ofagitating and conveying elements enclosed in a jacket, thesubcombination of a discharge and control head for regulating the flowand pressure of material discharged from said jacket comprising acylindrical casing having an escape port therein, a discharge Abranchhaving a tapering opening communicating with said casing, extending fromsaid casing in spaced relation to said escape port, a rst cylindricalvalve sleeve rotatable in said casing having a port registrableselectively with said escape port and said tapering opening and a secondcylindrical valve sleeve having an elongated arcuate transverselytapered slot therein for regulating the flow of said material throughthe port in said rst valve sleeve.

11. In a device for producing homogeneous compositions having a Apair ofagitating and conveying elements enclosed in a jacket, thesubcombination of a discharge and control head for regulating. the iiowand pressure of materialk discharged from said jacket comprising acylindrical casing having an escapeport therein, a discharge branchhaving a tapering opening communicating with said casing, extendingfromsaid casing in spaced relation to said escape port,

a first cylindrical valve sleeve rotatable in said,

ing relation with said pressure release port, said f resilient meansyielding to permit said material to escape from said pressure releaseport when the pressure on said material exceeds a predetermined -maximuml2. In a device for producing homogeneous compositions, thesubcombination of a casing having an outlet branch and an outlet port, avalve plug rotatably mounted therein for communication selectively withsaid port and said branch, an escape port in said branch, a valve plugfor closing said port and means for urging said plug into said escapeport with a predetermined pressure, said means yielding to permit escapeof material from said escape port when the pressure on said materialexceeds said predetermined pressure.

13. In a device for producing homogenQus compositions, thesubcombination of a valve casing, means in said casing for regulatingthe ilow of material therethrough, an outlet branch on said casing, aconduit movably supported on and communicating with said branch, andmeans for vibrating said conduit relatively to said casing to preventmaterial from sticking in said conduit.

14. In a device for producing homogeneous compositions, a dischargemeans comprising a valve casing having a discharge branch and an outletport, a valve sleeve in said casing having an lopening therein, a secondvalve sleeve having an elongated, tapered opening therein, said valvesleeve being concentric, means for adjusting said sleeves relatively toeach other to regulate the ow through said openings, and means forrotating said sleeves simultaneously in their adjusted position toregister said openings selectively with said outlet port and saiddischarge branch.

FRED FORREST PEASE.

CERTIFICATE or coRREcION. Patent nu. 2,555,506. November 5o', 1915. manFoR-REST PEASE',1

It. is hereby certified Yhelt error' aplpears in the printed.specificetin of the above numbered patent requiring correctionafollnws: Page l, second column, line 15, for 'Agitating" read--gitrating-v-q page-Zrfirs't -col-'- umn, line 26, for 'shaft 16" read--shuft 16p-,page lp, fir-st column, nue] 10, claim 3, strike oui: thewords "and conveying members"; 'and said Letters Patent should be read`#vit-h #this `correction thereinft'hat i;ftie4 seme may conform ,to therecord of the' vcese in the Patent Office.'

signed and sealed this 18th day of January, A'. D. 1914i.A

Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Potente..

